Jeri Jacquin
Coming to Bluray next week from writer/director Michael Mann
and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment comes the Director’s
Definitive Edition of HEAT.
Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is a professional thief and
along with crew Chris (Val Kilmer), Breedan (Dennis Haysbert), Cheritto (Tom
Sizemore) are always out to score big money. Wanting to make a big score –
McCauley loses control of the heist and it brings in heavy law enforcement.
Trying to connect the dots when the robbery takes out
armored car security, Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) is on the scene. Along with
his law enforcement crew of Sgt. Drucker (Mykelti Williamson), Casals (Wes
Studi) and Bosko (Ted Levine), Hanna knows that he will have to turn over every
rock to find someone who will talk.
McCauley wants one more shot at a final score before
retiring and even though he feels that law enforcement are breathing down his
neck, it won’t stop him. What just might is falling for Eady (Amy Brenneman)
which goes against his dictum of ‘never have anything in your life that you
can’t walk out on in thirty seconds flat’.
Hanna becomes so involved in trying to nail McCauley and his
gang, home life with wife Justine (Diane Verona) begins to a very big back
seat. Each minute away from home brings Hanna closer to learning where the next
heist will take place.
Final showdown is inevitable!
Pacino as Hanna is absolutely stunning as a police officer
dedicated to catching the bad guy. Using every trick in the book, he seems to
be one step behind the bad guy which only intensifies his resolve to make it
all stop. I love Pacino in intense roles like this one because he not only
becomes unreadable at times but still manages to surprise me and this role did
just that.
De Niro as McCauley is equally as intense in this role. As
McCauley, De Niro knows exactly what it takes to stay in control and focus on
the goal. Even the moments where he seems to be softening, there are hard edges
that even Brenneman gets cut on. Seeing Pacino and De Niro on screen together
in the restaurant scene just gave me chills that I haven’t felt since THE
GODFATHER II. Love both of these actors!
Brenneman as Eady is a woman who sees McCauley as a
challenge to get close to. Not realizing what he is capable of, she suspects
that there is something surrounding him and, of course, she wants to save him
from himself.
Kilmer as Shiherlis knows what he is doing when it comes to
crime but has no idea how to keep the wife happy. The relationship between
McCauley and Shiherlis is tight and Kilmer delivers. Judd as Charlene is a
woman I wouldn’t trust with a ten foot pole or secrets for that matter.
Sizemore as Cheritto brings in the tough criminal who swings
a weapon with no fear. Haysbert as Breedan is a line cook who misses the old
life but gets one more shot at it! Voight as Nate tries to keep the plans
moving in the right direction.
Levine as Bosko always makes an interesting law man yet I
still can’t get his role in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS out of my head. Fichtner as
Van Zant is a man who clearly doesn’t know who he is dealing with and going
against McCauley isn’t such a good idea.
Cast also includes Diane Verona as Justine, Ashley Judd as
Charlene Shiherlis, Natalie Portman as Lauren Gustafson, and Tom Noonan as
Kelso.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings
award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital
HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own
home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have
please visit www.fox.com.
The HEAT Bluray Special Features include new Academy Panel reuniting director Mann, Al
Pacino, Robert De Niro and moderated by Christopher Nolan, Toronto International Film Festival Q&A
with director Mann, Commentary by
Michael Mann, The Making of Heat – True Crime, Crime Stories, Into the
Fire, Pacino and De Niro: The
Conversation, Return to the Scene of
the Crime, Additional Footage of Deleted Scenes, and Theatrical Trailers – Surprise of a Lifetime, Two Actors Collide,
Closing In.
Taking inspiration from the late Chicago police detective Charlie Adamson –
who was killed by the actual Neil McCauley in a shootout in 1963 – HEAT was the
culmination of years of research by director Mann resulting in its depth and
range of characters and choreography of action.
It has been 20 years since HEAT first riveted audiences and
anyone who watches it today could never tell that all these years has passed.
That’s how amazing the storytelling, performances and cinematography and
direction is for this film. The action sequences are impeccable and scary at
the same time.
This is what filmmaking should always be and Mann now brings
brilliance to Bluray for everyone to see with over one hour of extras. Be
prepared to be blown away once again or for the first time!
I personally am excited that HEAT is coming to Bluray as
anytime Pacino and De Niro get together you can be sure it will be an epic experience.
HEAT will make fans happy and bring a new generation into the fold. It’s a film
that embodies perfection in every sense.
In the end – a Los
Angeles crime drama like no other!
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